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Why teachers need teachers' unions (and less rhetoric about Professional Learning Communities)
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American Federation of Teachers
Two Saturdays ago, I confused my wife when I confessed, “Honey, I could retire as a teacher.” I have always been ambitious, and quite honestly, a little restless. I am pursuing a Ph.D. and teaching a class at Loyola University (besides my full-time public high school teaching position), so we always thought that the Ph.D. would be the thing that would push me towards having an educational impact on youth in some other way. No, two Saturdays ago, I was feeling good about my profession and had thought it through—I need to retire in this job! Then, I received a letter that changed that vocational high and reminded me why, years ago, I began working on my exit strategy.
On Monday morning, I arrived to school about seventy-five minutes before I was contracted to be there—as is usual—and had a full day of teaching. After school, parents came to see me, and I had some students that needed help. The parents and I saw eye-to-eye. From now on, with our mutual understanding and exchange of information, their son will have “nowhere to run; nowhere to hide.” Check. Then, the sports-playing tutee finally “fessed up” that she had not been studying and her low grades were a result of her limited time in the books. Check. Then, at about 3:30 pm, I went to the main office to pick up something, and I happened to see a sealed letter in my mailbox. Curious, I immediately opened it and could not believe what I read.
In a Professional Learning Community, we are not only concerned about the students who have mastered the skills but also those who have not. After reviewing your first quarter Progress Report grades, the data revealed that you have a large number of students that received an E.
Therefore, there is concern with the following teacher evaluation standards and guidelines:
• Planning and Preparation
• Instruction
Listed below are the items that you must provide to your subject administrator by [3 days later]:
• Individualized action plan for each student that received an E.
• Teacher Action Plan to address the delivery of instruction
• Copy of students’ grade report
• Parent/Guardian Contact Log
We want to emphasize are [sic] ongoing concern about meeting the needs of students.
Here’s what burns me up about this: I am the same guy who delivered for the professional learning community last year. Not to toot my own horn, but my students scored at a higher percentage (84% pass rate) on our standardized test in government than any other government class in my school (and I did not have honors’ students). Last year teaching Advanced Placement (AP), students taking my class earned more 5s (highest score) and 4s on the AP Psychology exam than students taking any other AP exam in our school. In other words, in terms of data, I bring out the best in my students. I am always on time. I come early and leave late. My grades are always in on time, etc. I am a professional.
Am I overreacting to see the letter as a punishment to teachers and that the natural result of this will be teachers padding grades to avoid the extra burden of paper work?
Philosophically, I am a hard nose in the beginning of the year for a reason. Many of the students are not “scholars”~ seekers of knowledge. They approach education like a spectator’s sport. First marking period, I help them understand that in order to do this thing called education, we all have to work hard. Most do not do their homework. Most do not take notes. Most do not study. So guess what? Most fail. When they see the fruit of their labor, most change. It’s the “teach a man to fish” metaphor. Forget fish, I aim to teach my students to think--to think critically! The reason why the majority of my students do well is because I want them to think beyond the limits of the standardized tests. Naturally, when they take the exam, the majority feel like it is easy. But, I need to get in their heads in September, when they think they will coast their way to passing as is customary in many institutions of "learning." When they think they will not have to do much of anything to pass, they are greeted with what life will greet them with when they give half-heartedly. I believe in my students, and I happen to know how to reach them. Yes, many of them have to fall on their faces in order to stride to academic excellence. But, when they do. . . . Boy, you should see the accomplishment in their eyes. They actually see what happens when they activate their potential. But, all that is not important to administration.
Essentially, what struck me about the letter is that there was no dialogue before it was mass-produced to unsuspecting teachers. Besides the fact that it was never communicated to teachers that a bunch of Es would yield another letter of sorts to teachers; not a single person asked me my “philosophy,” strategy or approach. I would have loved it if anyone would have inquired if I had lost my mind—failing a bunch of kids at the progress report. Had they, we could have had the dialogue that is the strength of Professional Learning Communities. Had they, it would have been clear that Mr. Grant has the best interest of the children in mind. Alas, not in this “Professional Learning Community.” No siree.
In this “PLC,” the presumption is that the administration corners the market on concern for students. In this “PLC,” administrators can condescend, “We are not only concerned about the students who have mastered the skill but those who have not.” In this “PLC,” the assumption is that the teacher must be doing something wrong or not working hard enough.
Why the principal did this is beyond me. It is not my job to justify, rationalize or explain the decisions of leadership. Just know that at times, leadership decisions are unjustifiable, irrational and inexplicable.
By the time I arrived at home last Monday, I made up my mind to tell the assistant principal that I would not be able to make the three-day deadline. I opened my email and saw two fresh emails. The first one was from our building union representative, stating, “If you received the letter about ‘Es,’ the union has been informed and has asked the principal to respond.” The second was from my assistant principal, stating, “Disregard the letter about ‘Es’ until further notice.” She copied everyone under her care, so I got a chance to see all the other losers like me. So much for confidentiality.
Just like that.
Thanks Union.
The next day, the principal came to my room and asked me to see him at dismissal. He wanted to go over what he observed in my classroom the week before. On my way down, he impatiently pages me on the PA system. I walk in, and he is all smiles, “What can I say?” He continues, “I wish I could Xerox you and put you in 15 classrooms.” Okay, so he liked what he saw when he came and observed me the week before, but no mention of the letter I received on Monday. Curious.
On Wednesday, the assistant principal came to a meeting and on Thursday to another meeting, made eye contact and still nothing about that letter.
I did not know what to make of this. Was the principal pretending that he did not know he sent me a letter and that he had to eat crow when the union got in his face? The best explanation I could come up with is that biblical scripture on charity—do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Perhaps, he is not intimately connected to what his assistant principals do. It was hard for me to judge whether he knew and needed an Emmy for a dramatic daytime performance or whether he simply did not know I was one of the teachers he should be “concerned” about.
Was it arbitrary? Was the administration trying to punk the teachers? Was it the most well-thought-out plan? Who knows. All I know is that I, the teacher the principal wishes he could facsimile to stand in the place of “other” teachers, was just as vulnerable to administrative fancies as the “other” teacher. Not a very secure feeling. And, this is not about “good teachers” needing immunity from despots, for as Martin Luther King, Jr. taught, “A threat to justice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” But, our unions fight for that “other” teacher when leader-teachers or teachers of the day, week, month or year do not perceive the machinations of administration.
I am glad this happened to me. It gives me better insight to some of the teacher-plaintiffs I meet in my journey.
Once again, thank you teachers’ union for protecting us from capriciousness. With active unions like you, I might just end up teaching in a Professional Learning Community before I retire as a teacher.
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